Heel attaching machine



Aug. 11, 1936. GREWCQCK 7 2,050,312

HEEL ATTACHING, MACHINE Filed "July 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 11,1936. g zwcoc 2,050,312

I HEEL ATTACHING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 11, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,050,312 HEEL ATTACHING MACHINE Horace Grewcock, Leicester,

England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Pat erson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 25, 1934, Serial No. 736,841 In Great Britain September 6, 1933 Claims.

This invention relates to the attaching of heels by machine to shoes, and is particularly but, by no means exclusively, concerned with the attaching of wood heels to womens shoes by fasteners, usually nails, driven from inside the shoe.

In attaching wood or other high heels to womens shoes, it is usually desirable to hold the heel on the shoe by members which contact not only with the tread of the heel but with its side and rear surfaces, owing to it being diificult to apply sufficient heel-clamping pressure to the tread alone without incurring great liability of breaking the heel. As the height of heels increases, so the center height-line of the heel, measured from the middle'of the tread surfaceto the middle of the heel-seat-end of the heel, assumes a decreasing angle with the general plane of the heel-seat of a shoe. In other words, the angle between the tread and heel-seat-surfaces of the heel increases with the height of the heel. This angle may be as much as 30 degrees. If pressure is applied to such a high heel by means of a tread-abutment which moves vertically downwards towards the jack or shoe-entering support, it tends to cant the heel and make it diflicult to obtain a close joint between the rear of the heel and the upper of the shoe.

To provide a cure for the difficulties above indicated, a feature of the invention resides in the provision, in a heel-attaching machine, of a heeltread-abutment which is arranged to receive thrust along a defined path to apply pressure to the tread of a heel, but in applying such pressure moves along a path which differs from the said defined path and preferably is adjustable so as to be made substantially vertical to tread-surfaces of differing heels. v

There is disclosed herein means for limiting the clamping pressure applied to the tread-surface of the heel. This is not a part of the present inventiombeing made the subject of an applica tion for Letters Patent of the United States, filed in the names of William.R. Barclay and Frank Barton on July 25, 1934, its serial number being 736,882.

, The above and other features of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings of a convenient construction according to the invention, in which drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side View of the upper part of a heelattaching machine fitted with heel-holding mechanism according to the inventionj Fig. 2 is a' front view and Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section and on a'larger scale, of a portion of Fig. 2.

The invention may be embodied in any 5 usual form of heel-attaching machine in which there is relative movement between a hee1- abutment and a shoe-entering jack or similar member, for instance a machine as shown in British Patent No. 339,935, to the British United 10 Shoe Machinery Co., Ltd. A heel-abutment head or housing I2 is arranged for movement along a vertical path to clamp a heel, being mounted at the bottom of a plunger M which slides in a vertical bore in'an overhanging part of a heell5 attaching machineframe I 0. In the head I2 is mounted a stem l6 which operates a tread-faceenga-ging device or abutment I 8, this stem l6 engaging the forward end of a compensating lever ",-the rear end of which acts upon an abut- 20 ment 22 'for the rear surface of the heel. The rear abutment 22 is normally biased upwardly by a light spring 23, pushing the tread-abutment stem l6 downward. Engaging the lever 20, and forminga movable pivotal point therefonare two 5 transverse levers 24 (Fig. 2) which operate heel side abutments 26." r r In the present construction, the tread-face-engaging abutment 1.8 is carried upon a block mounted upon a pair of arms 32 which are pivoted at their inner ends to the machine column Ill. The abutment I8 is angularly adjustable on the block 30 by a hand-worm 33 which meshes with a worm-segment formed on'said abutment. The block is fixed in different positions along'the arms 35 32 by screws 35 which pass'through slotsin the arms so that the distance of the abutment from the'column, and therefore from the back of a shoe located on a shoe-entering member or jack 40 (Fig. 1), may be adjusted. The arms are arranged for pivotal connection to anyone of an upwardly and outwardly inclined series of openings 36, 31, 38 (Fig. 1) in a block 39 fixed to the column l0. The upper face of the block 30 conof some parts of Fig. 1;

tacts with a partly spherical knob or contact member 42 on the under side of an adjustable inner stem-piece 43 threaded into the stem IS. The knob 42 has a flat under side relatively to which the block 30' slides when the main abutment-head l2 descends to clamp a heel.

The pivot-point of the arms 32 is adjusted upwardlyor downwardly to one or another of the openings 36, 31,38, according to the height of the heel being attached, in such a manner that the block30presents the abutment 18, when the head I2 is moved down, with its under side substantially parallel to the tread-face of the heel. The abutment actually moves to heel-clamping position along an arcuate path the radius of which is represented by the arms 32. The final movement along this path is substantially perpendicular to the heel-tread-face. The block 30 is maintained normally raised by a tension-spring 44, the connections for which will be later described, so that it always remains in contact with the knob 42. There have been described two separate adjustments which alter the position of the block 30 and the abutment l8. First, movement of the block 30 along the arms 32 by the worm 33 alters the effective length of the arms and the radius of the path of the block, and, second, application of the pivot of the arms to one or another of the openings 36, 31', 38 changes the position of the center of the path. Theupper pivotal opening 36 will be employed when extra-high heels (more than 3 inches, say) are to be attached to shoes. As shown, the center opening 31 maybe. employed for heels up to that height, although the upper point may be used for heels of any greater height than three inches. The lower opening 38 will be used for heels oi less than two inches in height, it being generally desirableto locate the lower surface of the block 30, when down, as close to parallelism with the tread-face of the heel as possible, avoiding excessive angular adjustment between the block and the abutment l8, that shown in Figs. l and 3 being an approximate maximum. The inner stem-piece 43 may be adjusted vertically relatively to the housing l2 by a hand-wheel 45 (Fig. 1) which is connected by a rod 41 (Fig. 3) to the stem I6. Rotation of the stem l6 by the wheel 45 causes the member- 43, which is kept from rotating by a guide 49,119 be screwed either in or out of the stem l6. The abutment 22 is self-adjustable with reference to the rear surface of a heel, it being movable in a circular guideway in its holder 25. This holder is horizontally adjustable by a hand-screw 29- relatively to its .carrying stem 3|, which is engaged by the rear end of the lever 20.- By its adjustments, the block 30 may be set to seat the abutment l8 ac-. curately upon and to move; substantially perpendicularly t9 tread-surfaces of heels of widely varying height and pitch, such accurate seating being specially desirable when the heels are highest.

To limit the pressure which is to be applied to a specified part of a heel, the forward ends of the arms 32 are connected by a cross-piece 46 to a rod 48 which extends. vertically to a. slide-plate 50 mounted within a fixed guideway 52 formed upon the front face of the overhanging part of the maehine-frame H1 in which the abutmentplunger I4- is, guided. The plate 50 is pulled upwardly by the spring 44, above mentioned, and has ratchet-teeth on itsopposite sides engagedby two pairs of pawls 5 4, 56 pivoted; upon the guideway 52, The levers 2 4 which operate the side abutment members 26! have fixed to them upwardly extending arms 60 (Fig. 1) connected by a spring 62-, whichtends tohold the members 26 raised and apart from one another. The. levers 24 also carry at the forward ends; of their pivots upstanding fingers 64, having horizontal extensions which are adapted to engage tail-pieces ofthe pawls 54, 56. in such a manner that when the abutment members 26 receive their first movement towardsv a heel, the fingers 64 are moved laterally away fromthe pawlsand release t e her ore,..one r no he f then w s engages, under the pull of tension-springs 66, 68, a tooth on the ratchet on one side or the other of the plate 50. The teeth on one side of the plate are out so as to lie vertically between the teeth on the other side, to give a locking action at half the distance between the teeth on either side. Also of the pairs of pawls on either side of the plate 50, one pawl is farther above its pivot by the distance of one quarter of a tooth than the other. Thus, locking can be insured at quarter-tooth distance. When a pawl engages the plate 56, the arms 32 and the tread-abutment l8 carried by them become locked against downward movement, and further descent of the abutment-housing l2, either by action of the machine-operator through a treadle, or under power of the machine applied automatically before the nails are driven to fasten a heel to a shoe, results solely in further depression of the rear and side abutments. The amount of pressure that will be applied to the tread-surface of a heel by mechanism arranged as just described may be determined and regulated by adjusting the pull of the spring 62 which tends to hold the side abutment members 26 may be effected by joining the spring to one of the arms, 60 by an eye bolt 10, which may be varied as to its projection through the arm by turning the nut.

When a heel is clamped by moving towards:-

it the abutment-housing l2 containing members operating as above described, the abutment 18 will first engage the tread of the heel. As soon as this has occurred, further movement of the housing 12 causes the compensating lever 20 to rock, its front end moving upwardly relatively to the housing, and the rear abutment 22 to move down into contact with the rear of the heel. Any further rocking movement of the lever 20 is then prevented by the seating of the rear member 22 on the heel, and downward movement of the housing l2 continues while the lever 20 remains at rest. Consequently, the side abutment members 26 are moved in against the heel because the inner ends of their levers 24 are within the lever 20. At this time, the tread-abutment l8 becomes locked by the engagement of a pawl 54 or 56 with the ratchet-plate 50, and further downward movement of the housing increases only the pressure applied to the heel by the rear and side abutments. The pawls 54 and 56 are forced by the fingers 64 v out of engagement with the ratchet-plate, when the side abutments return with the housing to their original. positions after a heel has been attached.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a heel-attaching machine, a heel-tread! abutment, means for applying pressure to the abutment along. a defined path, and means made efiectiye by the application of such pressure for producing movement of. the abutment along a path difierent from said defined path.

2. In a heel-attaching machine, a. heel-treadabutment, means for applying pressure to the abutment along a defined path, means made efiective by the application of suchpressure for producing movement of the abutment along a path different from said defined path, and means arranged to vary the angles between the paths.

3. In a heel-attaching machine, a support for a. shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressurehead; movable toward and, from said support in a direction other than perpendicular to. the;

apart. This adjustment tread-surface of the supported heel, and a treadabutment movable by the pressure-head in a direction substantially perpendicular to said tread-surface.

4. In a heel-attaching machine, a support for a shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressure-head movable toward and from said support in a direction other than perpendicular to the tread-surface of the supported heel, a tread-abutment movable by the pressure-head in a direction substantially perpendicular to said tread-surface, and means arranged to vary the angle at which the tread-abutment is moved by the pressurehead.

5. In a heel-attaching machine, a movable pressure-head, a tread-abutment movable by the head, and connections from the tread-abutment to a point fixed against movement to modify the movement of the abutment.

6. In a heel-attaching machine, a movable pressure-head, a tread-abutment movable by the head, connections from the tread-abutment to a point fixed against movement to modify the movement of the abutment, and means arranged to vary the point of attachment of the connections.

7. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a pressure-head movable thereon, a contact member carried by the head, an arm pivoted upon the frame, a block variable in position upon the arm, a tread-abutment variable in position upon the block, and means for holding the block in engagement with the contact member.

8. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a pressure-head movable thereon, a contact member carried by the head, an arm pivoted upon the frame, a lock variable in position upon the arm, means arranged to move the block along the arm, a tread-abutment variable in position upon the block, means arranged to move the abutment angularly upon the block, and a spring joining the arm to the frame and acting to draw the block against the contact member.

9. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a jack mounted upon the frame for supporting a shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressure-head movable upon the frame, an arm pivoted upon the frame and extending above a heel upon the jack in co-operation with the pressure-head, and a heel-tread-abutment mounted upon the arm and co-operating with the jack.

10. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a jack mounted upon the frame for supporting a shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressure-head movable upon the frame, an arm pivoted upon the frame and extending above a heel upon the jack in co-operation with the pressure-head, a heel-tread-abutment mounted upon the arm and co-operating with the jack, and a spring joining the arm to the frame and drawing the abutment toward the pressure-head.

11. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a jack mounted upon the frame for supporting a shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressure-head movable vertically upon'the frame, an arm pivoted upon the frame and extending above a heel upon the jack in co-operation with the pressurehead, a heel-tread-abutment movable upon the arm and co-operating with the jack, and means arranged to fix the abutment in different positions longitudinally of the arm.

12. In a heel-attaching machine,a frame, a jack mounted upon the frame for supporting a shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressure-head movable vertically upon the frame, an arm pivoted upon the frame and extending above a heel upon the jack, said arm being movable by the pressure-head, a heel-tread-abutment movable upon the arm, and means arranged to fix the abutment in different angular positions upon the arm.

13. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a jack mounted upon the frame for supporting a shoe and a heel to be attached, a pressure-head movable vertically upon the frame, an arm pivoted upon the frame and extending above a heel upon the jack, said arm being movable by the pressure-head, there being pivotal connections provided on the frame for the arm at points located along a line inclined to the vertical, and a heel-tread-abutment mounted upon the arm for co-operation with the jack.

14. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a pressure-head movable thereon, a lever fulcrumed upon the head, pressure-abutments oppositely movable by the lever, and connections between one of the abutments and the frame to modify the movement of such abutment.

15. In a heel-attaching machine, a frame, a pressure-head movable thereon, a lever fulcrumed upon the head, a tread-abutment and a rear abutment movable by the lever, movement-modifying connections between the tread-abutment and the frame, and means arranged to vary the projection of the tread-abutment from the lever.

HORACE GREWCOCK. 

